Townsend: Training Time Has Been Vital

13 October 2017

Andros Townsend believes that the break in the Premier League programme came at a good time for the Eagles squad as they have enjoyed vital time out on the training pitch ahead of this weekend’s fixture programme.

The Eagles face Chelsea at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon and Andros believes that Roy Hodgson’s time spent over the last fortnight with his players will only prove beneficial as the team come up against the reigning champions.

“The international break has given the manager an opportunity to put his philosophy across to the squad out on the training pitch during a time of the season where we get more time to work on our play as you are just building up to a game like in a normal week.

“Don’t get me wrong we know what he wants from us and since he has been here everyday he has been drumming that into us but this last couple of weeks has certainly given us all a chance to be more focussed on the message he is looking to get across.

“It has had a positive effect on things and everyone is taking the new ideas on board and hopefully it will not be too long in our games before we start seeing the different ideas being put across in matches and get us into a position where we can start climbing the table.”

The winger takes on board unwanted records being broken and league position but he knows the quality within the dressing room is there for all to see and he is not a fan of taking too much from current league positions at such an early stage of the season.

“It is difficult when we have had the start we have had but we are a confident group of lads and when you look around the dressing room we have many internationals who have the experience of having been there and done it, we now have players coming back from injury who are going to add to the quality we already have.

“After this amount of games the league table doesn’t mean anything until everyone has played each other once and it will start taking shape.

“There is certainly a belief amongst the group and looking at the table we all know if we can go on a run so some of the doom and gloom will start going away. We know what we have in the dressing room and what we can produce on a Saturday afternoon and its down to us to put it all together and get that first win.

“After this amount of games the league table doesn’t mean anything until everyone has played each other once and it will start taking shape.”

One of those injuries that is close to returning is Wilfried Zaha, missing since the opening day of the season but one that Townsend believes can have an immediate impact should he return against Chelsea.

“It will be a massive lift, we all know he is an incrediable player and would be a major loss to any side and immediately will add another attacking option to our play. Creatively he gives an enormous amount going forward to help us get some goals and hopefully once he is back we can all start moving in the right direction.

“He is an exciting player who gets fans off their seats and it will be a great boost to us all to see him being in a position of being fit to return."